What is the abbreviation for California, and what region is it in?

California's two-letter postal abbreviation is CA. The U.S. Census Bureau places it in the West region, in the Pacific division. About 39.5 million people lived there in the 2020 census, the most of any state.

When did California become a state, and what number state was it?

California became the 31st state on September 9, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850, which admitted it as a free state. It was never organized as a U.S. territory; it went from military government straight to statehood after the Gold Rush brought a flood of new residents.

How did California become part of the United States?

California was part of Mexico until the Mexican-American War. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in February 1848, Mexico ceded California to the United States, just days after gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in January 1848.

Where does the name California come from?

The name comes from a fictional island ruled by a Queen Calafia in "Las sergas de Esplandián," a Spanish novel by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo published around 1510. Spanish explorers applied the name to the Baja California peninsula in the 1530s, and it later spread north.

What is the capital of California, and has it always been the capital?

Sacramento has been the capital since 1854. In the state's first years the legislature met in San Jose, Vallejo, and Benicia before settling in Sacramento. The current State Capitol was completed in 1874.

What states and countries border California?

California borders three states: Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, and Arizona to the southeast across the Colorado River. To the south it borders the Mexican state of Baja California, and its entire western side is Pacific Ocean coastline.

Is California the biggest state?

California has the largest population of any state, but it is the third-largest by area, after Alaska and Texas. If it were a country, its economy would rank among the largest in the world.

What is California's nickname and state motto?

California is known as "The Golden State," for the Gold Rush and its golden poppy fields. Its motto is "Eureka," Greek for "I Have Found It." Its state bird is the California quail, its flower is the California poppy, and its tree is the California redwood.

How many representatives and electoral votes does California have?

Based on the 2020 census, California has 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, down from 53, the first time in its history the state lost a seat. That gives it 54 votes in the Electoral College, the most of any state.

State Guide31st StateEst. 1850

California CA

"The Golden State"

The most populous and economically powerful state in America. From Silicon Valley to Hollywood, Yosemite to the beaches of Southern California, few places on Earth match its diversity, innovation, and natural beauty.

State Debt - FY2024

$166.4 billion

Total state government debt outstanding at the close of fiscal 2024, including long-term bonds and short-term borrowing across state agencies and public universities.

Tax Revenue - FY2024

$265.6 billion

Total California state tax collections in fiscal 2024, led by the individual income tax ($123B) and the general sales tax ($53B).

Borrowing

California borrows mainly through voter-approved general obligation bonds and lease-revenue bonds, sold to investors, mutual funds, banks, and insurers in the municipal market. Separately, the state still owed the federal government roughly $20 billion in fiscal 2024 for pandemic-era unemployment benefits, a loan repaid through higher federal payroll taxes on California employers. The state reported about $5.4 billion in interest on its debt in fiscal 2024.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State Government Finances.

31st

State admitted to the Union

39.2M

Population, largest state

164K

Square miles

5th

Largest economy in the world

California's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Okay, California, pull up a chair. On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, you're choosing a new governor (Gavin Newsom is term-limited), your member of the U.S. House, other statewide officers, and 14 statewide propositions. Yes, fourteen. There's no U.S. Senate race this year.

This is a midterm election, halfway through the president's term, and it decides who controls Congress for the next two years. California matters a lot here: voters approved Prop. 50 in November 2025, which redrew the state's congressional districts for 2026, so many of you are in a new district.

Every registered voter gets a ballot in the mail. California uses a top-two system: everyone ran in one primary in June, and the top two finishers advanced no matter their party, which is why some districts have two Democrats or two Republicans facing off.

Key dates and how voting works are right below. Use the buttons above to open each part of the ballot. Every proposition comes with what a yes or no vote means and what it would cost. Facts first; the decision is yours.

Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026

Key Dates

Key Dates
Counties finish mailing ballots	Monday, October 5
Drop boxes and early in-person voting open (locations vary by county)	Tuesday, October 6
Last day to register online or by mail (you can still register in person through Election Day)	Monday, October 19
Recommended last day to mail your ballot	Tuesday, October 27
Election Day: polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; mailed ballots must be postmarked by today	Tuesday, November 3

How Voting Works in California

Every active registered voter is mailed a ballot with a prepaid return envelope. Mark it, seal it, and sign the envelope; your county compares that signature with the one on file. Sign up at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov to track it.

Three ways to return it: any official drop box in California, October 6 through 8 p.m. on Election Day; any vote center, polling place, or county elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day; or by mail, postmarked by Election Day. Mail it at least a week early, or get a hand postmark at a post office counter.

Prefer to vote in person? Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 3, and many counties open vote centers earlier; find yours at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov. Missed the October 19 deadline? You can still register and vote the same day at a vote center or county elections office (called conditional voter registration).

Lost or damaged ballot? Ask your county for a replacement. Check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

Sources & Further Reading

…

California's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026

Key Dates

Counties finish mailing ballots

Monday, October 5

Drop boxes and early in-person voting open (locations vary by county)

Tuesday, October 6

Last day to register online or by mail (you can still register in person through Election Day)

Monday, October 19

Recommended last day to mail your ballot

Tuesday, October 27

Election Day: polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; mailed ballots must be postmarked by today

Tuesday, November 3

How Voting Works in California

Lost or damaged ballot? Ask your county for a replacement. Check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

California's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in California

📚 Sources & Further Reading

California's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in California

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading